Sport

Hain pain

JOHN Hastings picked up his fourth wicket of the innings with the tenth ball of the day, but a stand of 101 followed before the Australian completed his first five-wicket haul for Durham.

With new ball bowlers Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth again having no impact, Warwickshire reached 376 for seven at lunch with Sam Hain unbeaten on 61.

Rikki Clarke narrowly beat him to 50, but he lived up to his reputation for cutting short a high-class innings.

He had just failed to connect with a cut when he shaped to drive a ball of almost yorker length from Hastings and edged to Phil Mustard.

There were nine overs to be bowled with the old ball at the outset and it was during that period that Hastings carried the greatest threat of the morning.

He shaved Tim Ambrose’s off stump when the batsman inexplicably shouldered arms to a ball which scarcely deviated.

In his next over Hastings was convinced he had Hain lbw without addition to his overnight 12. The ball looked destined for middle stump, so umpire Steve Gale, who used to play for mighty Shropshire, must have suspected an inside edge.

Hastings was not impressed and directed some angry stares at Hain, who will be 19 on Wednesday. Born in Hong Kong of British parents, he was raised mostly in Australia and has played for their under 19s.

But he has said he wants to play for England and since his shaky start this morning, when he was also beaten by Mark Wood, he has looked very composed.

Clarke produced some elegant on drives when Onions took the new ball. After conceding 23 runs in six overs, taking his figures to none for 83, Onions made way for Hastings to return, while Scott Borthwick was tried at the other end.

In Borthwick’s second over Clarke advanced to drive a six over long-off, then pulled another one in front of mid-wicket.

Paul Collingwood replaced the leg-spinner and a straight drive, which went for four despite hitting the stumps, took Clarke to 50 off 71 balls.

In the next over Hain cut Hastings for his eighth boundary to complete a 109-ball half-century.